Missing Schoolgirl Megan Stammers.

What I can't understand is why the school didn't take immediate action once this "relationship" became apparent – hand-holding on a school trip.

I can't understand that either, absent. I can't help feeling a little worried about all the media attention and now Interpol are involved. Obviously the girl's family want her home safe and well but is publicly hounding them like a couple of criminals the right thing to do? It could make the situation a whole lot worse and panic them into doing something awful.

If the school was investigating the relationship, as has been reported, this teacher should have been suspended on full pay until the investigation was concluded, without prejudice. Apparently, their safeguarding policy was not up to scratch. If he'd had any sense, he would have waited for her to reach the age of consent, and find a different job. Now, even if she was a willing participant, he is in deep trouble and might get a prison sentence, unless he has spectacular mitigation.

It appears they ran away because he knew it was all coming to a head and he would be suspended. School cannot comment on exactly what it has done or any details of investigation for fear of jeopardising its case. They may well have been too slow to act but maybe they had no real evidence to act on until recently. If Megan denied anything was happening it might have been difficult to take action. The hearsay of other girls , if denied by Megan, could have been seen a malicious. So difficult to unpick when only part of the information is known. But bottom line is teacher should not be exploiting a young girl. If it turns out to be a genuine romance..and sometimes they happen, then he should have resigned immediately he knew it was 'serious' and behaved more honorably (that sound v old fashioned) He is an adult after all.

I, like Dorset, have no sympathy at all with this man. I hope they catch up with them soon, he gets an appropriate prison sentence, and is put on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

He has let this girl's parents down and let a good profession down. He is an absolute disgrace.

And he is a peadophile.

He has also let down his wife of only a year.

The child protection procedures at this school seem to be quite lax. Apparently another teacher at the school is in prison for grooming and sleeping with two pupils. With this kind of history I would have thought the school would have taken action immediately. To add insult to injury the girls parents were apparently paying him to give her additional maths lessons!

Whilst there are cases where these kind of relationships work, on the whole they don't. Yes, young girls do get crushes on their teachers but as an adult he should have made sure nothing came of it.

Jo4 agreeing totally with what you said and I do have sympathy for this young girl who may be looking for a stable male influence in her life but has been targeted by this man.

Also this is not a new phenomena! I recall a 6th former in my secondary school eventually married /lived with our already married Latin teacher. She was having after school classics lessons. We all heard the 'gossip' that they were having an affair and it was the talking point of our 4th form break times and at the time we all thought it was terribly exciting but not wrong..except he was married with young kids. I have no idea if it ever spoiled his career. I think he just moved on to another school. Pity it didn't as not only was he a two timing git but he was not a v good teacher either! Great degree but no teaching skills!

Hmm! Wasn't there some talk about a former HMI of schools and a pupil from my local comprehensive?

I'm wondering how close to sixteen Megan is.

Jeni and didn't that same 'gentleman' progress to a position in OFSTED?

jeni hope you are not casting nasturtiums on Mr Woodentop??

As if!

Who me?

Isn't he Sir Woodentop nowadays?

How did she get hold of her passport? Surely her parents would have looked after such important documents?

Why didn't the school do something when this was first raised months ago and isn't there something in the paper this morning that a similar thing had happened before in the same school?

It doesn't matter how near to 16 she is - it is a criminal offence for a person in a position of trust to have sexual relations with a student under 18. The age of sexual consent is not the same as the age of civil consent.
If he is picked up by the French police, he could be in very big trouble. He is now committing a very serious crime on French soil. He is also quite probably guilty of abduction, having removed a minor from her country of residence without the consent of her legal guardians. He could be facing a long prison sentence, entry on the sex offenders' register and be forbidden to have any job involving minors anywhere in the EU
Of course girls have always tried to flirt with teachers - it is up to the adult to keep control of the situation.

I do not believe that these men get the punishment they deserve, I know of a teacher who managed to keep it quiet until the girl left the school and then she moved in with him and had children. Not restricted to teachers either, the vicar of our parish went to prison because of a relationship with a 13 year old

Oh, agreed of course, greatnan. I just wondered. Some statements by his parents seem to suggest he's not the strongest of characters. Doesn't make his behaviour acceptable of course.

Whilst not condoning this male teacher's actions, and not knowing the full facts, it does seem teacher/pupil relationships are not confined to male teacher female pupil, have read about rather a lot of cases where the roles are reversed. I could never understand why a grown woman would fancy an adolescent boy, but then I had sons so maybe that has some bearing on the matter.

I agree baNANA and I think it should be treated in exactly the same way when the offender is a woman. Boys are actually less emotionally mature than girls and deserve the same protection, not the 'nudge, wink, boys will be boys' response that is sometimes encountered

Reminded me of a friend who went into teaching when he left uni; had forgotten how he used to tell me of the problems with teenage girls having crushes on him. He left teaching as soon as he could.

nightowl I think female teachers who have affairs with boy pupils are usually treated pretty severely.